Channel Islands National Park

Five islands off the coast between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles are protected as a national park, and because they were never developed they preserve something close to what the southern California coast looked like before the cities: grassland, sea cliffs, kelp forests and an unusually high number of species found nowhere else, including a diminutive island fox that stands about the height of a house cat. Santa Cruz, the largest, has Painted Cave, among the deepest sea caves in the world, and the kayaking along its cliffs is the best in the park. Anacapa is the closest, a spine of rock with a lighthouse and a vast western gull colony. Whales pass in numbers offshore, and the kelp forests underwater are exceptional for diving.

What you actually see

• Sea-cave kayaking - the cliffs and caves of Santa Cruz island.
• The island fox - the endemic fox, recovered from near-extinction.
• Anacapa's arch and lighthouse - the closest island and its seabird colony.
• Kelp forests - among the best temperate diving in the country.

When to go

April to October has the calmest crossings; spring brings wildflowers and the water is clearest in autumn. Grey whales pass in winter and blue and humpback whales feed offshore in summer. Boats are cancelled in swell, and the crossing can be rough.

Honest expectations

There are no facilities of any kind on the islands: no water, no food, no shade to speak of, and landings involve a ladder or a beach scramble. Boats are weather-dependent and cancellations are common. Day trips give only a few hours ashore. Seasickness on the crossing is very common. Everything you need goes with you and everything you generate comes back.

Nearby

Ventura and Santa Barbara are on the mainland coast; Los Angeles is ninety minutes south.